CBS Chicago – Does scanning emails and answering calls from bosses on your smartphone after hours constitute work that should be compensated? A lawsuit winding its way through federal court in Chicago says that it does.

Chicago police Sgt. Jeffrey Allen claims in the suit that the city owes him and fellow officers overtime pay for work performed on department-requisitioned BlackBerry phones. If the plaintiffs eventually prevail, it could mean millions of dollars in back pay.

The issue impacts workers everywhere, Allen’s lawyer said Wednesday after a hearing in the case.

“Everybody can relate to this because people are being asked all the time these days to work for free and they are being told to work for free using their phones,” attorney Paul Geiger said.

Ya see this is what is wrong with America today, we are always looking to be compensated for the littlest things. I can only imagine I’ll read that a young man sues old lady for helping her across the street. These cops need to be fucking kidding me, answering emails isn’t that big of a job. You can honestly do it from the couch, shitter, or bed. It is not like you need to physically be in the office.

What happened to working at all cost for the betterment of the project? I work in the business world and don’t get overtime but you bet your bottom dollar that I will stop at nothing to make sure the work gets done. I’ll come in early and work late without bitching, meanwhile these cops and others want compensation for answering emails. I’m sorry WWI, WWII, and Korean War veterans…the country you fought for on foreign lands is so soft right now it’s disgusting.